Strategy

The Department of Labor's (DOL) proposed overtime regulations are one step closer to becoming a reality for the American workforce. On March 14, 2016, the DOL submitted their final version of the regulations to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, signifying the last step in the regulation becoming law.

Mark Horgan has been named executive vice president and chief investment officer at Brixmor Property Group and been give a wide range of responsibilities as the newest member of a revamped senior leadership team.

Furniture manufacturer Herman Miller will continue its transformation from a maker of modern office furniture to a lifestyle brand with the opening of its first retail store. The store, opening in late 2016, will be located in the company’s recently opened flagship in Manhattan’s Gramercy neighborhood. The non-retail components of the flagship—the Herman Miller and Geiger showrooms—are already open, by appointment.

Ikea is going big in Memphis. The home furnishings giant plans to install the largest rooftop solar array in the state of Tennessee at its new store in Memphis. The 271,000-sq.-ft. Memphis Ikea is scheduled to open in late fall 2016, and panel installation for the solar energy system will begin this summer.

There will not be a tattoo parlor in the new 365 by Whole Foods Market chain. But there will be less products, less employees and more bright color accents compared to a traditional Whole Foods—and there will also be a robot, according to a report in The New York Times.

Online retailer—and would-be rival to Amazon— Jet.com is continuing to spread its wings. The retailer is testing a home delivery service for fresh groceries in certain markets in the metro areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. According to an email sent to some customers, produce delivery will take one to two days, with no fee for orders of $35 or more.

Sears Holdings has been making news lately mostly by closing stores. But in an unexpected move, the troubled retailer announced plans to test a freestanding appliance specialty store concept .

Walmart offered its own version of the Amazon Prime Day online sales event last summer, and now is directly taking on Amazon Prime. The discount giant is piloting a two-day version of its paid ShippingPass unlimited online delivery program. Normally, customers pay $50 per year for the ability to obtain three-day delivery of more than 1 million items Walmart.com with no additional fees.